Weighing-machine.



A. C. DODGE.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED APR.4, 1911.

Patented Apr, 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l/I/VE/VTUH ATTORNEY A. C. DODGE.

WElGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION H'LED 11 11.4. 1911.

1,180,380. Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cQ., WASHINGTON, D. c.

A. C. DODGE.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men mm. 1911. F 1,180,380. Patented Apr. 20,1916.

' s SHEETS-SHEET a.

Elma/Wm TH! COLUMBIA PIANOORAP" .CO WASHINGTON. D. C-

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

A. C. DODGE.

WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men APRJ. 1911.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

PWOGRAPH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. DODGE, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK.

WEIGHING-MACHINE.

Application filed April 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. Doocn, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Yonkers, Westchester county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Weighing- Ma chines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weighing machines, and is especiallyapplicable to beam scales, such as are employed by grocers, druggists,and the like.

Objects of the invention are to provide a machine for accurately,rapidly, and readily ascertaining the weights; and to provide a machinehaving a rotary, longitudinally movable poise carrying fractionalgraduations and cooperating with a fixed scale carrying the unitgraduations, with improved means for facilitating the reading of theweights and for causing and controlling the movements of the poise,whereby the machine is rendered simple and cheap in con-- struction andyet rapid, reliable and accu rate in operation.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and inpart be more fully explained in the following description.

The invention consists in the novel parts, improvements, combinations,and features of construction herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and made a part hereof,illustrate one embodiment of the invention and serve in connection withthe description herein to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewillustrating a beam scale embodying the various features of theinvention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an endelevation, as seen from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectiontaken on the line H of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical section, partly inelevation, illustrating certain details, the section being taken on theline 55 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewtaken on the line 66 of Fig. 5'; Fig. 7 is aside elevation, partly insection, of the parts shown in Fig. 6, as seen from the right; Fig. 8 isan elevation illustrating a detail; Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken onthe line 99'of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation illus tratingcertain details on an enlarged scale;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Serial No. 618,962.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 1'2 is an inverted plan of thesame; Fig. 13 is a plan, illustrating still another detail; and Fig. 14is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 14 of Fig. 1 andillustrating a detail.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the scale comprises abase 1 having a standard 2 upon which the beam frame 3 is pivotallymounted by suitable anti-friction bearings. Pivotally connected with thebeam at one side of the standard 2 is a support 1 for the material to beweighed. Any suitable form of support may of course be employed, thatillustrated being such as might be used for weighing meat. The frame 5of the support 4 has a depending arm 6 which projects through an openingin the base 1 and is connected at its lower end with a guide link 7.Abutments 1 and 1 are fixed on the base 1 near the opposite ends of thebeam frame 3. The abutment 1 is perforated to receive the arm 6 and theabutment 1 is provided with a removable buffer tip 1 which is adapted tocontact directly with the corresponding end of the beam frame 3.

Mounted upon the beam is a rotary and longitudinally movable poise 10.In accord ance with one feature of the invention means are provided formoving the poise with relation to the beam without extending the beam orcausing any part carried thereby to protrude beyond the ends of thescale. To this end, the poise 10 is fixed upon a threaded member 11which is capable of motion longitudinally of the beam, and means areprovided for rotating this threaded member without partaking of itslongitudinal' movement. As shown, the threaded member 11 is in the formof an elongated nut and is constructed of thin material having a threadrolled in its surface. As shown, the member 11 is fastened to the poise10 by flanges 12 which are engaged by bolts 13 passing through the poise10. The member 11 is mounted upon a sleeve 1a which is fixed near oneend in the beam 3 and has at its other end an enlarged head 15 which isexteriorly threaded to coiiperate with the inner threads of the member11. In order to compensate for any lost motion between the threadedmembers, means are provided for slightly expanding the head 15. As shownthe head 15 is split along one side and is provided with a threadedaperture in which is located a tapering screw 16. It will be seen thatby driving the screw farther into the aperture the head will beexpanded. To facilitate the expansion of the head it may be providedwith additional longitudinal grooves 17, as indicated in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of rotating the poise with its member 11 a shaft 20 isprovided, the same being, preferably, journaled at one end within thesleeve 14: and at the other end in the beam frame 3. In order that themotion of the shaft may be transmitted to the poise, the threaded member11 is provided at the end opposite to that to which the poise isattached with a collar 21' which, while free to move longitudinally ofthe shaft, is confined to rotate therewith. As

shown, the shaft has a flattened portion and I the bore of the collar ismade to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4. The'shaft 20 is preferably provided at each end withmeans for turning it. As shown, it is provided at the lefthand end, orthat end which is located beneath the support for the ma-- terial to beweighed, with a suitable knob or handle 22, this knob being; directlyconnected with the shaft so that the speed of rotation of the shaft-willbe the same as that of the knob. A similar knob 23 is pro vided at theopposite end of the shaft but, preferably and as shown, means areprovided for multiplying the motion of this knob. as transmitted to theshaft, so that,

while the shaft rotates in the same direction as'the knob, its speed ofrotation will be greater. To this end, the shaft is provided with a gear24 and the knob 23 is mounted upon a sleeve 25 which is provided with anenlarged head 26 having an internal gear concentric with the gear 24:-Arranged' be tween the gears 24 and 26 is a pinion 27. This pinion is.journaled on a stud28 fixed to the front plate 29 of the knob'23; Morethan one of the pinions 27 may be provided, if desired. As shown in Fig.8 there are three of these pinions, it being understood that each ofthem'is mounted upon -a.suitable stud connected with the knob 23. Itwill be seen that the rotary movement of the knob 23 will cause thepinions-27 to'be ro tated upon their studs by the internal gear 26 andthat they will in turn rotate the gear 24 on the shaft 20, the directionof the shafts rotation being the same as that of the orbital movement ofthe pinion 27 and of the handle by which this orbital movement iseffected.

For the purpose of controlling the movements of the poise, a yieldingdetent is preferably provided, the same tending to hold the poise atpredetermined points in its revolution, preferably, the pointscorresponding to the graduations on the poise.-

As shown, the shaft 20 is provided with a series of slight depressions30, and a pin 31 is mounted in the beam frame 3 with its end normallypressed into engagement with the depressions by a spring 32, the tensionof which may be adjusted by a screw 33. The screw 33 may be held againstaccidental displacement by a jam nut 34.

The poise 10 is provided with graduations upon its periphery, thesegraduations preferably representing the fractions of a pound. Preferablythe graduations are formed by printing them on a strip 35 of flexiblematerial, such as celluloid, and securing-this strip in a recess in theperiphery of the cylinder so that the strip will be protected bycircumferential flanges 36 formed at the opposite sides of the poise.Arranged to cooperate with the graduations of the poise is a scale 37mounted on the=beam and arranged parallel tothe path of movement of thepoise longitudinally of the beam. As shown,-the scale 37 is pivotallymounted on a standard 38 projecting'upwardly from the beam 3, as shownin Figs. 4c and 5, so that the scale may rest lightly upon the flanges36 of the poise.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, the fractionalgraduations or the numbers representing them are spirally arranged uponthe poise, as indicated in Figs. 2. l1, and 13, so that these numberswill appear directly beneath the unit gra duations or the numbersrepresenting them upon the scale-'37. That is to say, the whole seriesof numbers upon the poise will be successively presented to-viewdirectly beneath one of the numbers on the scale 37 during eachrevolution of the poise. By reason of thisfeature the reading of theweights is greatly facilitated, the numbers representing the fractionalparts of the readings being "always located directly beneath the numbersrepresenting the unit parts of the readings. A spirit level 40may bemounted uponthe beam to render more accurate the readings thereof. Asshown, this level is mounted upon the support 38 for the scale 37.'

The inventionin its broader aspects is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown and described nor to any particular con str'uction bywhich the same may be or has been carried out, as many changes may bemade in the'details thereof without departing from the main principlesof the invention or sacrificing its chief advantages.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A weighing machine including in combination, a support for thematerial to be weighed, a beam. a rotary and longitudinally movablepoise mounted on the beam and having fractional graduations on itsperiphery, a scale fixed on the beam and having unit graduationsarranged to cooperate with the fractional graduations 0n the poise, andmeans longitudinally fixed on the beam for rotating the poise.

2. A weighing machine including in combination, a support for thematerial to be weighed, a beam, a rotary and longitudi nally movablethreaded member mounted on the beam, a cooperating threaded member fixedon the beam, a poise fixed on said first mentioned member, and meanslongitudinally fixed on the beam for rotating said first mentionedthreaded member and poise.

3. A weighing machine including in combination. a support for thematerial to be weighed, a beam, a rotary and longitudinally movablethreaded member mounted on the beam, a cooperating threaded member fixedon the beam, a poise fixed on said first mentioned threaded member. anda shaft journaled onthe beam and fixed against longitudinal movementthereon, said shaft being mounted to rotate said first mentionedthreaded member while permitting relative longitudinal movement thereof.

4. A weighing machine including in combination. a support for thematerial to be weighed. a beam. a rotary and longitudinally movablescrew threaded member mounted on the beam. a cooperating threaded memberfixed on the beam, one of said members being adjusted to take up anylost motion between them. a poise fixed on said first mentioned threadedmember and having fractional graduations on its periphery. a scale fixedon the beam and having unit graduations arranged to cooperate with thegraduations on the poise. and means longitudinally fixed on the beam forrotating said first mentioned threaded member and poise.

A. weighing machine including in combination. a support for the materialto be weighed. a beam. a rotary and longitudinallv movable poise mountedon the beam and having fractional graduations on its pe ripherv. a scalefixed on the beam and having unit graduations arranged to cooperate withthe graduations of the poise. means longitudinally fixed on the beam forrotating the poise. and a yielding detent tending to hold the poise atpoints in its revolution corresponding to the graduations thereof.

6. A weighing machine including in combination. a. support for thematerial to be weighed. a beam. a rotary and longitudi nally movablepoise mounted on the beam. a scale having unit graduations mounted onthe beam in parallel relation to the path of the poise and adiacent toits periphery. said poise having fractional graduations spirallvarranged on its periphery so that each graduati on will appear directlyunder one of the unit graduations on the scale during each revolution ofthe poise.

, 7. A weighing machine including in combination, a support for thematerial to be weighed, a beam, a rotary and longitudinally movablepoise mounted on the beam and having a circumferential recess adapted toreceive suitable graduations and forming circumferentially continuousflanges at the opposite sides of the poise, a scale pivotally mounted onthe beam in parallel relation with the path of the poise and arranged tobear constantly upon the peripheral flanges thereof.

8. A weighing machine including in combination, a beam, a poise, meansmounted on the beam independently of the poise for moving the poiserelatively to the beam, said beam including a manually operated memher,a poise driving member, and a motion modifying device between themanually operated member and the poise driving member, said device beingarranged to drive the poise driving member in the same direction thatthe manually operated member is moved.

9. A weighing machine including in combination, a beam, a poise, meansmounted on the beam for movingthe poise relative to i the beam, saidmeans lncluding a manually operated member, a poise driving gear, aninternal gear fixed on the beam in concentric relation with said poisedriving gear, and a pinion arranged to mesh with ooth said gears, saidpinion being mounted upon said manually operated member.

10. A weighing machine including in combination. a support for thematerial to be weighed. a beam fulcrumed intermediate of its ends andcarrying said material-support at one side of the fulcrum, a singlemeans for counterpoising the beam and materialsupport disposed at theopposite side of said fulcrum and comprising a graduated Doisemembermovably mounted on the beam. means for effecting longitudinal movementof the poise in relation to the fulcrum and material-support, and meanslongitudinally fixed on the beam and including a turningmember andgear-mechanism connected to the poise-member and turning-member forrotating the poise-member to effect an accelerated change of itsposition in relation to the fulcrum of the beam.

11. A weighing machine including in com bination, a support for thematerial to be weighed. a beam fulcrumed intermediate of its ends andcarrying said material-support at one side of the fulcrum. a singlemeans for counterpoising the beam and material.- support disposed at theopposite side of said fulcrum and comprising a poise-member movablvmounted on the beam and having fractionalgraduations on its periphery. ascale fixed on the beam to overhang the periphery of the poise-memberand having unit-graduations arranged to cooperate with thefractional-graduations on the poisemember, means for effectinglongitudinal movement of the-poise in, relation to the fulcrum andnraterial-support, and means l0ngitudinally fixed on the beam andincluding a turningmember and gear-mechanism connected to thepoise-member and turning- In testimony Wl16I80IE,'I have signed mynameto thrs speclficatlon, 1n the presence of 10 two subscrlblngwltnesses.

ALFRED C. DODGE.

member for rotating the poise-member t0 Witnesses: effect an acceleratedchange of its position WM. J. DOLAN, in relation to the fulcrum of thebeam. R. R. MURPHY.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

